Remembering Rylan Schadegg’s Motto: “Live Wild and Die Free”
The fitness community came together yesterday evening to mourn the tragic death of Rylan Schadegg.
The elite HYROX athlete’s family broke the heartbreaking news through his Instagram account, confirming Schadegg had passed in the evening hours of Sunday, September 11.
“We are deeply devastated to share that Rylan died on Sunday evening doing one of the things he loved most: running up mountains as fast as he could and then flying back down them,” the post read.
“His motto was to, ‘live wild and die free’, and he lived that to the fullest.
“Those of you that know Rylan know that his faith in Christ and his resulting love for others characterized the way he lived life.
“He was a son, brother, friend, and mentor to many who will miss his smile, his friendship, and his own unique brand of humble competitive drive.
“His faith was integral to everything he did and sharing it in every aspect of his life to include his training, his social media, and in his daily interactions.
“We pray that his love for Jesus and his example will be a reminder for us to always pursue Jesus and live life with everything you have.”
The Schadegg family ended their statement by requesting privacy and time to grieve, process, and figure out how to move forward in the wake of the shocking news.
Meanwhile, tributes have poured in from all corners of the fitness world.
Supplement giant Myprotein, who sponsored Schadegg, posted: “We’re deeply saddened by the passing of Rylan Schadegg. He consistently inspired the entire HYROX community with his talent, dedication and spirit.
“An incredible person inside and out. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and all of the HYROX family who knew him.”
Rylan Schadegg was a rising star in the booming HYROX circuit, but he certainly wasn’t new to the hybrid scene.
By the time he turned his talents to the sport, Schadegg was already a keen endurance runner, obstacle course racer, and DEKA Fit World Champion.
Showing his pedigree in the World Series of Fitness Racing, the Nebraska native won the Pro Men’s 25-29 category in Valencia, Beijing, Yokohama, and New Delhi.
He placed 14th in this year’s Elite Men’s race at the HYROX World Championships in Chicago, ranking him among the best endurance athletes on the planet.
“We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Elite 15 HYROX athlete Rylan Schadegg, who passed away this past Sunday,” HYROX shared with its community.
“His strength, positive attitude, determination, and sportsmanship left a lasting impact on the HYROX community. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and all who were inspired by him.
“Thank you, Rylan, for everything you gave to the sport of HYROX. You’ll be deeply missed.”
Spending most of his time living in the mountains in Northern Utah, Schadegg’s energy for life was far too great for the confines of man-made walls.
His hobbies included all things adrenaline-inducing, including speed flying, paragliding, mountain biking, and rock climbing.
Schadegg spent time working as a firefighter before later helping coach others through his Live Wild app and YouTube channel.
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